A Scottish Shield Maiden
(Scotlanders - Mythic Clans)
By Heide Middlebrook
(Scotlanders - Mythic Clans)
By Heide Middlebrook
Publication Date: 23rd July 2025
Publisher: Passion Leaf Press
Page Length: 355
Genre: Historical Romance
A Northman will risk it all to protect a captured Scottish maiden whose clan bloodlines from ancient mythic kings unleashes a power in her grasp unlike any other.....
Trapped: Lady Catriona MacLaenden is by her stepfather’s cruel demands as she yearns to learn the skills belonging to a warrior. The chief forces Catriona to hunt using her “instinct in senses”, a strength unleashed from her clan’s mythical origins. When harnessed after she presses her palm onto solid terrains, her power finds weight signatures tracking those unseen in the distance.
Fate takes hold when Catriona is discovered by Northman spy, Lord Rorik Kolbeck, who sees the makings of a possible shield maiden shadowed within her. Lord Kolbeck seeks to strike an accord in exchange for a bold escape – Catriona’s sister’s happiness for his lost brother being found.
A chance taken will lead her into the battles for The Kingdom of Norway, whose lands have been ravaged in a hundred-year war by kings fighting for the throne.
Dare she trust a Northman whose ancestors once hunted her own? The battle will not only lie with swords and training needed to survive the war-torn kingdom, but the sparks she feels in a betrayal toward her clan’s ancestry when her passions begin to rise for the Northern warrior, whose bold and protective ways may steal her heart.
Scotlanders - Mythic Clans is a series of standalone books each featuring a protective swoon-worthy hero, a strong bold heroine, rich historical settings, daring adventures, spice, and an epic happily ever after!
A Scottish Shield Maiden takes the readers back in time, where political marriages were not only demanded but expected. Lady Catriona MacLaenden is trapped, for despite her rank and her desire to marry and to learn the art of warfare, her step-father demands she stay with him, for Catriona has a special skill; she can sense the movements of animals and people on the earth, just by touching it. But how Lady Catriona longs for freedom. When Lord Rorik Kolbeck comes to the castle to marry Catriona's step-sister, Catriona does all she can to help her sister escape the marriage, but in doing so, she ends up marrying Lord Rorik instead and promises to help him find his missing brother.
And then the fun begins!
This is a beautifully captivating story that not only has strong and exceptionally likeable main characters, but there are also enemies aplenty. Add in the romance and the battles, as well as the magic, makes this book a really gripping read.
This is certainly a feel-good read, and I just loved the suspense and the story itself, for it is so well written that the hours simply flew by as I read it (I did read it in one sitting, what else was there to do on a Sunday?)!
There are some sensual scenes in this story, but the story is more about the main characters falling in love while everything stands against them, whether that be the past or the present.
I really did enjoy this novel, and I recommend it to fans who enjoy wonderfully written historical romance.
This novel is available on Amazon
Heide Middlebrook
Heide Middlebrook writes historical romance novels and stories as an independent author. History captured her interest as a young girl after touring historical sites, then as a teenager a love for romance reading took root. Earning her career diploma in freelance writing led her to pen magazine articles, but it was an overwhelming desire to weave a love story occurring during a historical event that inspired her to pursue her dream of becoming a novelist. Why the romance genre? Those happily ever afters!
Many of her novels are set atop of the Scottish Highlands because of her fascination about the fierce spirit of the people found within Scotland’s history coupled with her Scottish heritage.
She currently resides in south Florida with a herd of four legged friends, including one very opinionated cat.
When not creating stories, she loves to connect with fellow writers in the literary community and continues to hone her craft by attending writing conferences. Her recent activities include the 2024 Historical Novel Society virtual conference in England, along with the 2024 Writing Workshops of Boston, Tampa, Texas, and the February 8th and 9th, 2025 History Quill virtual convention.
In 2024 she established her imprint Passion Leaf Press.
She is a proud member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, the Historical Novel Society, and the Romance Writers of America.
Connect with Heide:
Fabulous novel and a fabulous review!
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
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